The (Real) Story of How Sofritas Was Created
As a child, Minh Tsai, the founder of Hodo, often went with his grandfather to buy freshly made tofu at the wet markets in Vietnam. When he moved to San Francisco as a refugee, he found that he couldn’t find good tofu. He missed the delicious tofu he used to eat which reminded him of his grandparents so he decided to make it himself! Minh’s first “store” was a stall at the Palo Alto Farmers Market in California.
And that’s where Steve Ells, the founder of Chipotle, first tasted Hodo tofu back in 2013! Back then, at the market, Minh was known as the “Tofu Master” but I’m pretty sure Steve just called him Minh :)
How Sofritas is Made
Minh and the Hodo team obsess about making tasty tofu. Our beans are organic, non-GMO, and are not commodity beans. We source specialty soybeans that are high in protein and good fats. This allows us to make an extra creamy soymilk. We add a natural coagulate, that is a naturally occurring mineral, to coagulate the soymilk to form the tofu. This is similar to how one might make cheese!
This natural mineral also adds a ton of calcium to our tofu, making Hodo tofu, a rich source of good plant protein and calcium. The soymilk and coagulate mixture is then handcrafted into slabs using cheese cloths. That’s why if you buy Hodo at the grocery store, you’ll notice it has uneven edges and slightly different shapes from bag to bag. These are all hallmarks of a truly handcrafted product!
The tofu is then cut into cubes, fried, and shredded. Steve and Chipotle’s chefs partnered closely with Minh to infuse Hodo’s tasty tofu with delicious, real Mexican spices like chipotle pepper, cumin, onion, and oregano. The flavor was savory, smoky - simply, delicious!
FIRST, CALIFORNIA THEN THE WORLD!
Sofritas was launched in 2013 in Chipotle’s stores in Northern California. It was so successful, Steve and Chipotle decided to make it available nationwide! Today, sofritas is available in all 3,800 Chipotle stores worldwide and it is the only plant-powered protein on the menu.
Chipotle and Hodo share one common value: ingredients should be fresh, real, and responsibly sourced, without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. We’re proud and thankful to partner with Chipotle to make the delicious sofritas!
I don’t know about you but writing about how sofritas was created, has made me hungry for a sofritas burrito. Join me and order one right now! If you share your sofritas burrito on social, tag @hodofoods, and we’ll send you a special gift for giving it a try!
